Development Status and Trends of PET Foam Material Industry in 2025
PET foam material is a porous material made from polyethylene terephthalate via physical or chemical foaming processes, boasting excellent overall performance. Its density is only one-third to one-fifth of traditional metal materials, while it delivers higher specific strength. With a melting point of 260℃, it can operate stably for a long time in environments up to 150℃. In addition, the material is 100% recyclable, which fully conforms to the concept of circular economy.
The industry has witnessed a clear technological evolution. In the early days, the batch autoclave pressing method was widely adopted, which suffered from uneven cell distribution and low production efficiency. Starting from 2020, the supercritical CO₂ extrusion foaming technology represented by Foshan Gaoming Keli Machinery Co., Ltd. has achieved industrial application. By precisely controlling temperature and pressure, the PET foam sheet extruder can produce microcellular materials with cell diameter below 50 microns, improving the product’s fatigue resistance by more than 50%.Meanwhile, material modification technologies have also been upgraded. With the nano-silica reinforcement system, the tensile strength of the material exceeds 40MPa, and its flame retardant performance reaches the UL94 V-0 standard.
According to professional industry research, current technological breakthroughs in the PET foam sector mainly cover equipment, formulas and process control. The combined design of twin-screw extruders and static mixers effectively solves the cell collapse problem caused by low melt strength of PET. The combined use of branching agents and nucleating agents expands the applicable foaming temperature range by 30℃, greatly improving production tolerance. Equipped with an online monitoring system based on digital twin technology, production lines can adjust screw speed, back pressure and other parameters in real time, raising the product yield to over 92%.
At present, PET foam materials have been listed as strategic emerging industries across many countries and regions around the world. The European Green Deal requires all building thermal insulation materials to be fully recyclable by 2030. Driven by China’s dual carbon goals, the booming wind power industry has boosted market demand for foam core materials. Relevant overseas regulations also stipulate that rail transit vehicles must use more than 30% recycled materials, creating a broad market for PET foam products. Overall, the PET foam material industry enjoys great development potential, which also drives growing market demand for high-end foaming equipment.